Lyman b



LYM-.iN 1,2CnrrrENDEN, or Prr'rsennc PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patetzt'No. 78,434, datcdvJune 2,1858.

l'MPROVED BRESS PUB,A FINISHING BRICK.

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Bc it known that I, LYMAN Bl Cnrrrminnn, of Pittsburgin tho'cenntiy of Allegheny, endState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new nnd nseiul le'cpreveinent in Prese for Finishing Brick; and I do hereby declare the following to ben. full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being hed to the accompanying drawings', making part ofthis specification, in 'which-.- I

Figure l is :i lpersr'pective view of" my improvement.

Figure vshows, in section, in reduced size, the devices for securing thereturn stroke o'f theslidingfrsm'e; and

Figures 3 and. 4 are sectional views, showing diierent modesof Vconstrncting my 'improved'plungers Like letters of reference indicate like parts in ench The natur'e of my invention consists in the consrnctionbn'd arrangement ofc. series or gang .of pressing-v lmxcs4 and plnngers, for pressing anilfinishing brick, with suitable devices for operating them, and for feeding and discharging the brick lirevions'to and after the pressure is applied nndnis'o in th'e. construction of mi Improved plunger, with which to press, finish, and shape brick i'n-a pressing or finishing-machine.

To enable others skilled inthe nrt to make :ind use my invention, lf wil nrocecdto describe its construction. and mode of opertion. y

Teenyiuimme framework, sinnlich irrgokingaslicfti Brewssbnrs C, 'for slsles freeler@ und a mr shaft, E, `te the last nnmedof which the power requisite to operate the-machine is eommuniceted,in any ordinary way, through n bend-wheel or crank, a. 'ln its revoltionthe cam-signifi E rotates e projecting triipeyb, and two sets of coms, aand d, the functions ol'ene'h of whichI-.will proceed te describe.

The tripper 6 engages a lever, which, by the erm e andI lever e', is so connected with the rocking-shaft B, es to gire to it a. roclrin'g'niotion, elterntely forward and beck. Its forwardmo'tion operates a lever, f,g. 2, which, by a shaft, f', is attached toer connected with thesliding frame D, which latter is'censequently moved' forward and'back'sn'ith the corresponding movementsin the recking-sheft B.

This sliding framed), operating on the slides or cross-bars C, is designed for a feeder, and to that end carries one or more brickftrnys, l?, but usually tiro, discharging tray of. pressedv or finished brick, and feeding-in s. tray 4of brick to be pressed, with cach'forwnrd movement, and is'carriecl bnelr art-its return stroke byc spring, g, connected with the rocking-shaft B, or by a Weight.

These trays F may b e of enydesirable form or shane, and are designed merely as -carriers for the brick', and to form thebottorns .of the p rcssing-beire'sfyet to'bo described.

Whenlonded with n number of brick,placcdtlxercon-in a rorv atvshcrtintervais, the number corresponding to the capecity of the machine, (which loading niay be dene by bend, erby mechanical devices giroperly con;- structed for that purpose) the tray F is placed onthesliding frame D. l

A cross-liar, properlygroovcd, as et z, on'its inner'and under surface, is attached to the roer 0nd ofith ,sliding ironie D. As tlielatter, beng'octnated in th'emnnner above.describedfeomniences its'forward'stroke, the front edge of'the cross-bnr't passes over the rear edge-of the loaded tray F, asshown in iig.' 1,'41nd, coming egninst the brick resting thereon, pushes them forward n. sulicint distance to place them in a directfl'ne with each other. -Thcreeref'the'grcove la then-engages the troy Fand pressesitfoi-werde Thot the' lriclzspntbe fray may be not only in line with each other, but else` et the desired distances from each other, se. thet'enclbrick will ccme'directly under its pressing-box end plnnger,z'es hereinafter to be described, I pese. thebriclr, ne they moveferward on the tray, between guides c', n'tteehed to aber, ir.` Y Y These gnides -z' nre wedge-shaped, with the blades of the tredg'ec towel-d the brick, and their hesdsof a illicite' ness equal-to the distances at nhcli the brick slic-nlrlbeplaoed from eseh other, so es to be ready for the pressing; boxes,A i 3 Y The brick will than, after pessingthegn-ides i, been arranged that they will come directly nederI the pressing-Y devices, yet to .be described, when'the forward motion ci thesliding frame D cesser, audits return stroke begins:

'18,434 '2 leaving the tray Frestingonbearers, notshown in the drawings, or otherwise secured from going back with the vsliding frame D 'on its return stroke.v

On the cam-shaft E are two sets of cams, c and cZ,-working'in cam-yokcs, c and d', respectively, o ne set of lyokes, c', attached to and operating a framework, l, whiehfcons'titutes the sides and ends of the pressing-boxes, (the trays F boingthe bottom.) In these boxes I operate the plungers an, which are attached by across-bar, tri/,

to the cam-ykes d', and which perform tho functions oi'` presses, and at the saine time eonstitutethetops of the boxes. ".lhe operation oi theb'oxesl and plungcrsm' is then simple.

the boxes l to descend and enclose the bricks As soon as this`is done, the cams d force Ythe -plungors m downward into the boxes a suiiicient distance and with sucient force to press the brick to any required degree of s olidity. This done, the cams c,. in completing their revolution, lraise the lbarres l, 'the plungers retaining their position, whereby the brick axe discharged from the boites. The cams d then .raise the plungers m,.an'd the platen vor tray'F, with-the load of pressed brick, is pushedforward by the tray n'cxt following at the next for; ward stroke of the sliding frame D. It is tlen lifted oh', and, either by a ca r or othcfrwiso, conveyed to the kiln;l where the brick aresubjecited to the usual treatment.,

- IIn order to produce lbrick of more uniform as well as of an improved shape I have devis-ed an improved The brick, resting on the platen or tray F,:b`eing brought directly under the'plungersm,l the cams c cause',

form of plunger, shown in'iigs. 3 and 4. v'.llhis plunger consistsv of a-block, 'm, of the usual form, 'hollowed outA or chambered, as at n, on-its under face, and-thelo'weror open side-of Athe chamber coveredwith a gasket, x, of

India rubber, or other'ilexible or lastic material, as in iig. 3. The chamber n is, by an air-condcnser,.through s', by which the nonelastic sub-plunger s is forced outwards.' The screws o', which carry the sub-plunger s, should work loosely iu the main, lplunger m. The lower or the cock o, -filled-with compressed air, or otherconvenient cushioning-material, or, as in fig. 4, contains a spring,

outer faceof the gasket x, or othercovering of the chamber, should, when in' use, protrude somewhat `below the i lower face of the plunger m, so that the upper face otthe brick, when pressed, shall be slightly hollowed towards its centre. In this way I save material, andprovide room inside4 thc outer edge of the brick for the mortar necessarily used in building substantial and durable walls.

As another advantage resulting from the use o f acushioned chamber, fitted either with a gasket, .'c, `oi-"zr" sub-plunger s, I make brick of an' almost perfectly uniform size, even when, as is invariably the case, th material contained in the diierent bricks varies somewhat in-quantity.

If there is an excess of material, whatever is superuons is pressed upward against'the gasket e or' subi plunger a into the chamber 'n.- Ii the -material be deficient, the gasket a: or'sub-plungers forces. the material outward from 'the centre toward theedges of the brick, consequently the dimensions of the brick, measured along its edges, will always'beu niiorm.- Hence, 'h ey'wili be' more convenient for use, will build more regularly inte l a wall, and produce a wall of 'moreperfect Jeints, an evener and moresymmetrical face, withoutlo'ss of strength,-

and with a saving of material.

- By the mode of manufacturing described, I obtain a brick pressedV while stationary, by a force movin'g` at right angles to the resisting surface. I press either a very few or a considerablenumber of such brick at a single st'rdke.v The manual labor required if* but small, as the brick may be discharged direc'tly on to the tray from the brick-machine proper, in which case no extra laboris needed, except to place the traysF on and remove them from the sliding frame D:

' As already stated, I produce a brick of any required degree of solidity, more uniform-inits'dimensions than 'when made in' the ordinary way, of a greatly-improved shape for building into a wall, with a considerablesaving of material, an'dno loss of strength.4 The brick should of coursebe in a plastic o r semi-plastic state.

Wh'at I claim as my invention,` and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. Ina. machine for pressing'. brick,the construction and use, either singlyor -in gangs, of aplungeryni,

chambered on its under face, and fitted with a subA lun er, of an elastic or non-elastic material, such'sublun er P g i P B "being, :pportedby or resting against a spring oracushion-f o condensed airforothe'r equivalent` dcvi', 'sub1 I' stantially as and for the phrppses hereinbefore set forth. f i Y 2. The use oi" edge -shaped guides a', in connection with a cross-bar, h, or its equivalent, for regulating the position of the bricks on each platen .or tray F, s o that-they shall" be fed directly undorthc*pressing-devices,

substantially as `above set forth.

3. The boxes l and plungers 1n, with suitable devices for imparting to them-the"motionsdescribed, in coin-V bnation with a feeding-device, consisting of a sliding frame; D, cross-bark, and guides'z, the whole beingcon. strncted and operated substantially in the lmanner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof, I, the'said-LYMAN B. CRI'IfTENDEN, have hereunto setmyl hand. l LYMAN s. CRITTENDEN. Witnesses:

i A. .Si NIpuoLsoN,

Geenen H. Cnnrsrr. 

